Pressing and ironing machine



March 23, 1937.- A. MATTHEWS 2,074,410

- PREssING AND I'RONING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1934 ATT RN Y,

Patented Mar. l23,

PATENT OFFICE raEssING AND momo moms Albert Matthews, Cincinnati, Ohio, asslgnor to The American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 27, 1934,. Serial No. '132,578

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to an improved means for exerting pressure on sheet material 'passing between coacting members for any operation requiring such exertion of pressure upon the material. More particularly, my invention is illustrated as applied to a -atwork ironer.

An object of my invention is to provide a pair of coacting elements .for exerting pressure on sheet material traveling therebetween in which 10 two rigid members are mounted a relatively xed distance apart and a fluid-tight casing is provided on one of said members and expansible toward the other of said members, together-with means supplying fluid under controlled pressurel to said casing so'as to regulate the pressure exerted on the material.

Another object-of my invention is to provide a novel roll construction adapted to exert ironing pressure on articles passing between a roll and chest, as in the usual atwork ironer, and in which the roll has a peripheral wall expansible towardthe chest by fiuid pressure.

Other objects .and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the accompanying description and as illustrated in the drawing', in which Fig. 1 is a partial section through a atwork ironer showing two rolls with their respective ironing chests, one of the rolls being shown in elevation and .the other'in section, taken on the line I--I of Fig. 2; while Fig. 2 is a section of a roll and chest, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.Y 1.

My invention contemplates the provision of novel apparatus for exerting pressure on sheet material passing between a pair of coacting members by the expansion of a uld casing on one member toward the other member so as to provide a uniformly distributed pressure over the surface acted .upon while at the same time providing a yielding surface capable of adapting itself .to inequalities in the treated material.

Such apparatus has manyapplications in industry, but I have chosen to illustrate my invention as applied to apparatus for ironing laundry goods. As is well known, such ironing operations may be carried out between platen and platen, roll and platen, or roll and roll, either with or without the use of an apron or conveyor for carrying the4 member in a manner to support an outer cylindrical casing or pressure member I2 in spaced relation to the inner member. ,This outer casing is secured to the head members by a uid-tight connection which in the form illustrated is provided by turning over end .portions I3 and Il of the casing and securing them by means ofrings I5 to the heads. Preferably the rigid inner member Il l is cylindrical in form and may be secured to` the head members by` machining thereon a shoulder I6 of lesser diameter than the portion of the head supporting the outer casing and there- Vafter the member III may be shrunk on the shoulder- I6 in the manner customary in the fabrication of ironing rolls. This provides a fluid-tight compartment bounded by the inner peripheral surface of the casing, the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder I0 and the head members II.

Means is provided for securing a driving relation between the outer casing andthe inner member which preferably takes the form of coacting projections and guides on the outerand inner members arranged to provide a driving connection while permitting a limited radial movement of the casing with respect to the inner member. In the form shown, ribs l1 extend longitudinally of the inner peripheralsurface of the casing and coact with corresponding grooves I8 formed in the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder I I). These coacting rib and groove pairs are spaced circumferentially about their respective cylindrical surfaces and are of such an extent that they remain in coacting relation when the casing is extended outwardly by fluid pressure applied between the inner andouter members, as illustrated in Fig. l.

The outer casing member is formed of a substantially non-elastic but slightly expansible materialV and preferably of a woven fabric-1mpregnated in a manner to render it impervious to air, water or other uid with which it may be Aplaced in contact. Preferably also, the ribs I 'I are formed integral with the outer casing which may be done by forming certain plies of the impregnated fabric in a manner to provide such ribs. The casing may also be provided with an outer muslin covering I8 ifl desired. Means is provided for supplying uid under pressure to the space between the inner rigid 'member i0 and the outer casing. In the form shown, the end head members Il are provided with supporting shafts or gudgeon pins 20 one of which is hollow and passages 2l extending radially of one of the` head members are in com- 10 munication on the one hand with the hollow shaft and on the other hand with the space 22 between the inner and outer members, thus providing means for expanding the outer casing in a radial 'direction relative to the inner member. Preferably these radial passageways 2| are sumcient in number to provide one for each space between the coacting rib and groove pairs. 1 The iiuid pressure supply is led into the hollow shaft by a conduit 23 provided with a packing 2 0 gland 24 to prevent leakage. These conduits for the individual rolls are supplied from a main supply line connected witha suitable source o f fluid pressure under control'of valve 26. The

'30 chine comprises a plurality of rolls, the pressure may be equal throughout the series or the pressure may be varied from roll to roll by setting the control valves to maintain different pressures for each roll in the series.

Where material ispassed between two pressure members for purposes 'of creating an ironing nuia tight substantially cynndncgu outer casing member having a uid tight connection with said heads and surrounding and spaced from said inn er member, means for supplying iluid under pressure to the space between said members, and driving means connecting-the inner and outer members and lying in the space between them.

2. vAn ironing roll, comprising an inner rigidl member having a substantially cylindrical body portion'and circular end heads, an expansible uid tight substantially cylindrical outer casing .member having a uid tight connection with said heads and surrounding and spaced from said inner member, means for supplying fluid under pressure to the space between said members, and interconnecting guiding means lying in the space between' said inner and outer members and comprising projections on one member and cooper-l ating radially extending guides therefor on the other member with respect to which said projec tions have limited movement radially of the roll. 3. An ironing rollv of the form described in c1aim'2, wherein the fluid supply means comprises a passageway in one of said heads and a channeled shaftconnected with said inner member and having its channel in communication with said passageway. f

4. An ironing roll comprising an inner rigid member having a substantially cylindrical body portion and end heads of greater diameter than the body portion, an outer fluid tight cylindrical casing having a uid tight connection with said eilect, one of these members is usually heated,`

and while I contemplate that heat might be supl lplied by means of the uid in the space 22, in the 40`form illustrated the chests 5 and 6 are supplied on the shaft 2li and rotatable by suitable mecha-- nism, such for instance as a motor (not shown) v .50 connected by a train of gears with the gear member 3l).` 'I have thus provided an improved ironing roll having a peripheral surface adapted to 'exert an evenly distributed pressure vover the surface thereof while at the same time adapted to perfectly conformv itself to inequalities of material pressed in contact therewith...

heads and radially spaced from said body portion, said casing being formed of non-elastic, slightly expansible material, rib and groove members extending longitudinally of opposed surfaces of said body portion and. casing and spaced about. the circumferences thereof, said members being arranged to coact during limited radial movement of said casing, 4and means for supplying iluid pressure to thel space between said body portion andcasing to thereby expand the casing.

5. An ironing roll comprising any inner rigid cylinder having a body portion and end heads of II have also provided novelmeans for regulating the pressure between roll and roll' or roll and platen in a series of such coacting pressing members arranged in a iiatwork ironer and which does not require the cumbrous mechanism hitherto used. 'I'hat is to say,. in the form illustrated neither the roll or platen needbe moved but may be permanently xed in coacting relationship and pressure may be applied as desired and the in; tensity of such pressure regulated by means of a very flexible iiuid pressure control.

What I claim is: l. An ironing roll, comprising an inner rigid member having a substantially cylindrical body portion and circular end heads, an expansible greater diameter. than the body portion,'an outer uid tight cylindrical casing having a iiuid tight connection with said heads and radially spaced from said body portion, said casing being formed of impregnated fabric, said body portion being provided with longitudinally extending grooves spaced circumferentially about its outer surface, ribs integral with said casing and projecting from its inner walls into said grooves and adapted for limited radial movement therein with fiexure of said casing, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the space between said casing and body portion. i

6. In combination, a heated chest, a roll member mounted a xed distance from said chest, a fluid-tight cylindrical casing on said roll member expansible into pressure engagement with said chest, said chest having an arcuate surface adapted to coact with a large portion of the surface ,of said casing of the order of one-third the circumference thereof, means for supplying pressure fluid to said casing, means for passing fabric material between said casing and chest, and means for controlling the pressure of said fluid supply whereby to regulate the pressure exerted on said material.

- ALBERT MATTHEWS. 

